Baseball Attendance Ranks In Top 20 Nationally
11/12/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Nov. 11, 2005
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The Southern Miss baseball program set several milestones last season when it finished with a 41-21 overall record and 20-10 mark in Conference USA.
The Golden Eagles finished with a school-record third-straight 40-plus win season and third-straight NCAA Tournament appearance. Southern Miss' 20 win conference season also marked the third-straight 20 or more win league season, also setting a school record.
The attendance at Pete Taylor Park/Hill Denson Field also set records. The average attendance of 3,045 (34 games) marked the first time the average attendance was over 3,000. The total attendance of 109,621 was the first time that over 100,000 people attended games at Pete Taylor Park in a single season, both setting records.
Southern Miss' record average home attendance in 2005 ranked No. 16 nationally and its total attendance, also a record, ranked No. 16 as well as they watched the Golden Eagles produce a 26-8 record at "The Pete". The average attendance and total attendance were the highest in the history of the facility for the second year in a row. This marked the 13-straight year that the Golden Eagles were among the nation's Top 25 in average and total attendance.
The 5,377 fans in attendance against Ole Miss on April 5, marked the single-game attendance record at "The Pete". The Golden Eagles registered one game over 5,000 in attendance, four games over 4,000 and 16 games with over 3,000 in attendance. The season-opening three-game series against Marshall drew 9,446, a record for a season-opening series.
"I want to thank all our fans who have helped build the baseball tradition to where it is today," said Southern Miss Head Coach Corky Palmer. "With our attendance finishing in the top 25 for the 13th-straight year and increasing to as high as No. 16 this year, it is indicative of the level of baseball our program plays at and the level of commitment our fans have toward our program. We just want to continue that tradition and keep building on it each year."
A former record-total of 85,433 people (2,847 average, also a record) came to Pete Taylor Park/Hill Denson Field to watch the Golden Eagles 30 times in 2004 as Southern Miss posted a 22-8 record in home games. The previous record for total fans was set in 1996, with 74,738 fans, and the former average attendance record was 2,194 in 1997, with 67,999 fans attending 31 games.
The Golden Eagles return 20 letterwinners, including five starting position players, four starting pitchers, and five bullpen pitchers from last year's squad that finished 41-21 overall and tied for second-place in Conference USA, advanced to the Conference USA Tournament semifinals and also to its third-straight NCAA Tournament appearance. The Golden Eagles have produced a 133-56 record over the past three seasons for a 70.4 winning percentage.
The Golden Eagles open their season on Wednesday, Feb. 15, at Pete Taylor Park/Hill Denson Field against Nicholls State, at 3 p.m. For season ticket information, call the Southern Miss Ticket Office at 1-800-844-TICK or visit SouthernMiss.com.
Year Home Attendance Ranking Avg. Attendance Ranking Home Record2005 109,449 16 3,219 16 26-82004 85,433 18 2,847 23 22-82003 68,398 24 2,137 24 25-72002 68,642 23 2,080 23 24-92001 60,339 21 2,081 21 16-132000 63,846 19 1,935 19 23-111999 51,572 22 1,719 22 27-31998 63,784 15 2,058 15 20-131997 67,999 11 2,194 14 23-81996 74,738 13 1,967 10 26-121995 71,342 11 2,098 12 27-71994 62,542 10 1,895 12 21-121993 46,536 9 1,724 9 19-10